SAVE_SUCHANA: Ending the Cycle of Under-nutrition in Bangladesh_Quarterly Progress Report_October to December 2017

Abstract

WorldFish as one of the technical partners is mainly responsible to lead the fisheries and a half of the horticulture components of Suchana. In collaboration with other Suchana consortium partners, in 2017 WorldFish has supported at least 32,675 BHHs for nutrition sensitive-horticulture, 12,250 BHHs for Nutrition-Aquaculture (HFP), 399 Demo Ponds as the community based resource centres and 1,625 IGA-BHHs for commercial aquaculture, open water fisheries, and different off-farm IGAs related to fishing, dried fish and fish trading for better income opportunities. 
Out of 32,675 horticulture supported BHHs, 2,969 BHHs were from learning phase and 29,706 BHHs were from Phase 1. Entire BHHs have received horticulture related supports including training, coaching, regular technical follow-ups, linkages with markets actors and vegetables seeds. Out of 12,250 HFP-Aquaculture BHHs, 1,299 were from leaning phase and 10,951 were from phase 1. Out of 399 Demo Ponds, 9 were from learning phase 385 were from Phase 1. Out of 1,625 IGA-BHHs, only 11 were from learning phase and 1,614 were from phase 1. Out 1,625 IGA-BHHs, 841 IGA-BHHs have received supports related to commercial aquaculture, 12 IGA-BHHs have received supports on cage aquaculture, 223 IGA-BHHs on open water fisheries management as well as fishing, and 428 IGA-BHHs on fish trading. Other 6,484 HFP-BHHs have received supports related to poultry (either chicken or duck) rearing instead of HFP-aquaculture considering their individual expectation of the beneficiary households. The entire 6,484 BHHs are from phase 1 communities.
The entire targeted HFP households, demo ponds and IGA-BHHs have received training, coaching, technical follow-ups and linkages with local market actors in addition to vegetable seeds for gardening, fish-fingerlings, fish feeds and lime for aquaculture, poultry birds (chicken/ ducks) and improved poultry shed for to practice the nutrition sensitive producing systems to increase the productions, diversified their diets and better income. 
Orientation training on nutrition sensitive aquaculture and horticulture for frontline staffs (Sub assistant Agriculture officer) of Department of Agricultural extension based in unions was conducted in three batches with 72 participants. WorldFish also organized orientation training on Small Scale poultry rearing and management for WorldFish field technical team in assistance with HKI.
Based on recent observations, most of the BHHs have harvested vegetables from their gardens. The BHHs are using most of the harvested vegetables for their family consumption. Some of them have also sold some vegetables for additional income. Many beneficiary households, demo ponds and IGA-BHHs have also started to harvest the fish from their ponds mainly for family consumption. Some of them have also sold their fish to the markets. Most of the off-farm IGA-BHHs have started to earn very attractive amount of money using the supports from Suchana especially those received the supports on boat, net and fish-trading.
Besides the considerable progress, there are also observed some challenges. Due to prolonged flood and excessive raining on 2017, many activities along with carried over targets of previous quarters were delivered within the last quarter. So it was a huge rush for the operation team to complete the targets within the last quarter. Due to delay decision making process, alternation poultry rearing supports (instead of aquaculture) and off-farm IGAs were also started delay. There were opportunities to deliver the off-farm IGAs at the beginning of fishing seasons.
Using the recommendations from independent consultants, WorldFish team have developed an alternative integrated approach combination of aquaculture and poultry to reach more beneficiary households especially those have access to smaller ponds or ditches (less than 2 decimal per BHHs) for aquaculture. Finalization of registration process of the beneficiary households for phase 2 should be completed by January 2018 for starting the interventions on timely manner. Active initiatives should be in place for procuring the vegetable seeds for upcoming summer to complete the distribution for early production